Deviation recording device



' I Aug. 20, 1946. A H, BEAL 2,495,937

DEVIATION RECORDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1944 l5 /6 a5 l' ,/6 l 65 I? llf?- 65 .i /2

. g JW, 64 Q l 6o 2.

53 l5 7 5? M 4l 35 7 a7 58 36 2 I| 20 l v l 2o 23 37 K '57 24 d 22 25 :RA 29 26 28 52 7 30 V /47 az 49 4f 3s' 35 '45 Patented Aug. 2Q, 1946 A i UNITED STATES f PATENT oFFlcE Albert H. Beal, Houston, Tex. Application August 21, 1944, Serial No. 550,441

This invention relates to a deviation recording apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described designed to be lowered into' a well borevand containing means which are maintained inoperative while the apparatus is being lowered but which becomes active when the apparatusV reaches the selected place in the bore, and is maintained stationary at'such location, whereby a record is made of the inclination of the bore at the selected point.

In drilling a well bore it is desirable to maintain the same as nearly straight as possible, for Well known reasons, and in order to do this it is necessary,l from timeto time,to survey the bore in order to obtain the required deviation data so thatV correction can be made in case deviation occurs. The invention herein disclosed has been particularly designed for the purpose of ascertaining the inclination, if any, of the well bore at a selected point therein so that the bore can be straightened at the point of deviation, if deviation occurs. The invention also embodies a novel timing arrangement for maintaining the record making means inoperative, or inactive, While the apparatus is being lowered to the point where thesurvey is to be made and which, after a predetermined interval, becomes operative'to actuate the record making means to make Ya rrecordof the deviation. Y

'With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to `certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which 'is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure lshows a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing the upper end of the apparatus.

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing an intermediate portion thereof.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary, side, elevationalv View of the timing device gearing; and

Figure 4 shows a side elevation 4of the appa--V ratus, partly in section, as mountedA in the housing, ysaid housing being shown in section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the gures, the numeral l 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-2055) carries the enlarged head I6.

, 2 for lowering the apparatus into, Aand withdrawing it from the well. f

Attached to the lowerend of the housing there is a guide point 4 havinga deep socket 5 therein in which is located the coil spring 6.

Enclosed within the housing there is a, cylindrical casing which is formed of upper, intermediate and lower sections 1, 8 and 9, the sections 1 and 8 being connected by an inside coupling I0. The upper end of the casing is closed by a cap II having a stuing box I2 therein and the lower end I3 of the casing is closedas shown in Figure 2 and is seated onA the upper end of the coilspring 6, which forms a shock absorberas shown in Figure 4.

The coupling I Il is inwardly thickened and has an axial bearing I4 therethrough through which the driving rodv I5 is slidably fitted and this rod is surrounded by the stuflingqbo-x |20, carried by the coupling I0. The, upper end of this rod extends upwardly through the stun-lng box I2 and Fixed on the rod I5 within the housing there is an enlarged spring seat I1 and surrounding said rod and interposed between said seat and the cap I I there is va strong coil spring I8..

Above the coupling I 0 the rod I5 is formed with a rack face I9.

Fixed on the upper end of the coupling I and upstanding therefrom there is a frame having the side members 20, 20 whose upper Vendsr are connected by the head 2I through which the rod I5 passes. Thetiming device gearing is mounted in this frame. This gearing includes a spur gear 22 which is in Yconstant mesh with the face I9 and which is fixed on the transverse shaft 23. Fixed on the shaft 23 there is a. large spur gear 24 which is in mesh with a smaller spur gear 25 fixed on one end of the cross shaft 26. Loosely mounted on the other end of the shaftr 28 there is a spur gear 21 which is adjacent a ratchet wheel 28 which is xed on the shaft 26. Pivoted on the gear 21 there are the pawls 29, 29 which are spring pressed and which are arranged tocooperate with the ratchet wheel 28. When the rod I5 is pulled upwardly t0 place the spring vI8 under compression the shaft 2li will be rotated through the gears 22, 24 and 25 but the ratchet wheel 28v willbe rotated in the direction ofthe arrow in Figure 3 and no rotation will be imparted to the spur gear wheel 21 nor to the smaller gear 3E! which is in mesh therewith. Y

Upon release ofV thegrod 'I5 the spring I8`will cause the same to'move downwardly thus 'reversing the rotation of the gearing above referred to ment of the anchor.

will be controlled by the timing gearing hereinabove described.

The numeral 35 designates a cross head which. is attached to the lower end of the rod l and depending from skirt 36.

A preferred form of recording mechanism has been illustrated and willnow be described;V there is a, tubular anchor 3$slidably fitted into the upper end of the lower section 9 of the casing'and provided with a longitudinal slot 3L A key 38 is anchored to the section 9 and extendedV inwardly into the slot. This anchor is supported on a coil spring 39`which is tted within the section 9 and which is supported on inwardly extended pins 4Q which are anchored to the casing. The upper end of the anchort is enlarged and fitted closely within the intermediate section 8 of the casing providing a downwardly facing external stop 4 l which limits the downward move- Said anchor is normally held in its upper position by thecoil spring 39. There is a disklike record receiving element 42 whose margin is suitably attached `to-.the upper end of the anchor 3S. This record receiving element is preferably, though not necessarily, `transparent and is formed of any'suitable material adapted for the purpose. .Preferably it is slightly flexible and of sucient softness to receivea mark or impression and will not be liabl'to be kbroken or mutilated. y i g Spaced beneath the pins 49 are the inwardly extended pins 43 whichV support a ring 44. Supported on this ring there is acoil spring 45 which supports a plate Mijand normally holds it against the pins 45. This,` plate 45 has a central 4opening dl and surrounding said openingen the. .plate there is an annular seat 49 on'which the ball 5B is mounted. AThis ball is retained in placebythe retainer plate 5l which .is secured onthe 'plate' 45.. The retainer plate 5| has .a centralyopening and a post 52.is attached to, and upstands from, the ball 59 through saidopening 4and its upward end is pointed and spaced. beneath the recording element 42. Y

An externally threaded stem 53 depends from the ball 5B through theopening LV! and a pendulum is attached to and depends from said stem.

This pendulum includes a head 54 and a weight 55. This weight encloses'a coil spring 5t whose upper end is connected to the headY and whose lower end is connected to the weight. This pendulum maintains the pointed post 52 ini-vertical position. The head and weight have a ball and socket joint connection 51. whereby the shock of the lateral swing of themen'dulum vwill be abthis cross head there is a tubular sorbed to prevent breakage or bending of parts, 1

particularly when the pointed end ofthepost 52 is engaged with the record receiving element 42. Depending from thevcross head 35 there is an upper pendulum 'u'iwhich is located within the skirt 3B. vThe lower end of VVthis upper pendulum is providedwitha pointed markerli'. TheV upper ena of the pen'euiuni fsa isfmiedfwithaln spherical head Bil forming a ball joint member which is normally supported in the socket 6I formed in the upperl face of the bearing plate 62 which is secured to the lower end of the cross head 35. The lower end of this cross head has a deep vertical socket 63 in which there is located a bearing block 64 and a coil spring 65 is enclosed within the socket 63 and presses downwardly against the ball joint member 60 and maintains it iirmly seated in the socketl. The pressure of the bearing block B4 against the joint member 60 is suicient to prevent vibration or any undue oscillation of the pendulum 58 but permits said pendulum to assume a true vertical position.

In use the rod l5 is pulled upwardly the re- `quired distance,` depending on the depth at which the survey is to be made thus placing the spring I8 under compression. The apparatus is then enclosed in the housing! and the cap 2 attached thereto and the apparatus is then lowered into the well; As above stated when the rod l5 is pulled upwardly the ratchet 28 will rotate idly thus allowing the free upward movement of said rod.

Upon release of the rod l5 the timing mechanism will immediately beginto operate and the rod l5 will begin a slow downward movement, saidV movement being controlled by Vthe Ytiming mechanism. The rod is initially drawn upwardly far enough to allow sufcient time for lowering the apparatus to the point where the survey is to be made before the recording` means' operates. When the apparatus has reached the desired location in the well it should `vbe held there stationary to allow suflicient time for the pendulum 58 to move downwardly untilthe' pointed marker engages and forms a mark Aon the record receiving element 42. The YSpring 65 will thereafter yield to prevent the markerfrom unduly mutilating the record receiving element. f

Thedownward movement of* the -rod l5 .and cliios head 35 continues until the lower end of the s 1r record receiving element 42 downwardly*into,engagement with the pointed .upper end of the post 52, placingthe 'springjSil under compression and said posts will make a mark on the under side of said receiving element and. thereafter the spring 45 will yield to, prevent untrue mutilation or me record receiving element by said post.

The springs 55, 39 and GS Will yield to prevent the record receivingelement .'42 -from being unduly mutilated but at the same time have suflicient resistance place in the well where a record of the inclination is to be made, a suiicient vtimeshould be allowed to lapse to give the timing device time to operate to make the record and the apparatus maythen be withdrawn for an inspection of the record receiving element.

If the markers 52, 5S, make marks exactly at" the center of the element 4 2 it will be known that the Well bore was` exactlyvert-ical at the point where the record was made.

If'the marks made on the record receiving clef ment are oi "center they will be on yopposite sides of Ithe{center-of'thereceiving element. The distance the marks so made are from the center of n thereceiving element 'indicates the amount of in- I tion of-the'inclination of the Vbore vat a poiiitwliere* V35 comes into `contact with and moves the to causei said markers to make visible marks on the record receiving` element, When the apparatus is lowered to the desired the record is made to be readily ascertained and if the inclination of the bore at that point makes it necessary, the bore can be straightened in any approved manner.

What I claim is:

1. In a deviation recording device shaped to be lowered into a well and including a casing having upper and lower sections and an inside coupling connecting said sections and also having means in the lower section effective, upon operation thereof, to make a record of the inclination of a well bore, a cap closing the upper end of the upper section, said cap and coupling having aligned bearings, a rod slidable through said bearings and having its upper end extended above the cap and forming a grip, said rod having a rack face thereon, a spring seat on the rod, a coil spring around the rod between said seat and cap provided to force the rod downwardly, when the spring is placed under compression, to operate the record making means and gearing in the casing forming a timing device and geared to the rack face to retard the downward movement of the rod.

2. In a deviation recording device shaped to be lowered into a well and including a casing having upper and lower sections and an inside coupling connecting saidsections, and also having means in the lower section effective, upon operation thereof, to make a record of the inclination of a well bore, a closure for the upper end of the upper section, said closure and coupling having aligned bearings, a rod having a rack face and slidable through said bearings and having its upper end extended above the closure and forming a grip whereby the rod may be manually moved in one direction, a spring seat on the rod, a coil spring around the rod between said seat and closure arranged to be placed under compression when the rod is so moved and provided to force the rod in the other direction, when the spring is placed under compression, to operate the record making means and a gearing assembly in the casing and supported on the coupling and forming a timing device and geared to the rack face to retard the downward movement of the rod,

ALBERT I-I. BEAL. 

